3 - 9 January 2002
Issue No.567
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Al-Ahram Weekly Online 3 - 9 January 2002 Issue No.567 |
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The Blairs in town
British Prime Minister Tony Blair and his family visited Egypt last week to celebrate New Year in the land of the Pharaohs. Soon after their arrival, on Thursday, the Blairs were chaperoned around the Pyramids plateau by Zahi Hawas, the plateau's director, also visiting the Sphinx and the Solar Boat Museum. Hawas said that the group also saw a child's skeleton unearthed by archaeologists at the workers' cemetery near the Pyramids. The family smiled and waved at tourists during their 90- minute tour, according to witnesses.
The prime minister's private visit could boost Egypt's tourism industry, which has been hard hit since the 11 September attacks in the US, showing that Egypt is still a safe tourist destination.
Blair was not expected to hold any official meetings, although a courtesy call on President Hosni Mubarak in the Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh took place last Sunday.
The British prime minister was in the region on an official visit last month, travelling to Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel and the Palestinian Territories in an effort to get Israel and the Palestinians to return to peace talks. Blair has also led a diplomatic and public relations offensive aimed at reassuring the Arab world that the US-UK coalition's real enemy is terrorism and not Arabs or Muslims.
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